God Made Woman Thirty Vignettes of Women in the Bible

By Marsha Lawson

My dear readers, this short book is a labor of love for writing is not something I particularly enjoy, and neither am I a very sophisticated writer. You can search on Amazon and find many books on women in the Bible that are surely better than mine. To be honest with you I wrote this book in response to what I felt was God's instruction to me. I got this idea amid my devotions and prayer. I had been asking God to give me something to do to serve Him as I had a lot of spare time as a retiree. Writing some vignettes on the various women in the Bible and compiling them into a book came to mind. I tried to forget this, saying it was not from God, but only my imagined thought. Yet in my devotions, this idea kept coming back so I had to believe it was from God. Then I thought of how much I hate to write and realized that my writing is not that spectacular. So I gave myself another reason to forget the project. Again in devotions, the urge came back. So, I began writing. In obedience, I have written my thoughts and I hope godly insights on twenty-nine plus women (the 30th is a group of honorable mentions). I have gained a lot of understanding from this endeavor so even if you don't receive some insight from it, it was worth it for me personally.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Marsha Lawson
• Release date: May 19, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005814885

Book preview

GOD MADE WOMAN

Thirty Vignettes on Women in the Bible

By Marsha Lawson

Copyright 2022 Marsha Lawson

Smashwords Edition

This book is dedicated to the numerous sisters in my past and present,

both overseas and in the US, who have influenced my life.

This book is my thanks to you.

Cover design by William H. Lawson

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

HAGAR

LEAH

THE POOR WIDOW

THE SAMARITAN WOMAN

ANNA

BATHSHEBA

THE WOMAN OF PROVERBS 31

MARY THE MOTHER OF JESUS

MARY AND MARTHA

LOIS AND EUNICE

EUODIA AND SYNTYCHE

QUEEN ESTHER

A CRIPPLED WOMAN

EVE

A SICK WOMAN AND A DYING DAUGHTER

RAHAB

SAPPHIRA

MIRIAM

PRISCILLA

LYDIA

THE TEN VIRGINS

HANNAH

RUTH

THE WOMAN WHO ANOINTED THE FEET OF JESUS

SARAH

THE MOTHER OF THE SONS OF ZEBEDEE

ELIZABETH

REBEKAH

DEBORAH

HONORARY MENTIONS

INTRODUCTION

My dear readers, this short book is a labor of love for writing is not something I particularly enjoy, and neither am I a very sophisticated writer. You can search on Amazon and find many books on women in the Bible that are surely better than mine. To be honest with you I wrote this book in response to what I felt was God's instruction to me. I got this idea amid my devotions and prayer. I had been asking God to give me something to do to serve Him as I had a lot of spare time as a retiree. Writing some vignettes on the various women in the Bible and compiling them into a book came to mind. I tried to forget this, saying it was not from God, but only my imagined thought. Yet in my devotions, this idea kept coming back so I had to believe it was from God. Then I thought of how much I hate to write and realized that my writing is not that spectacular. So I gave myself another reason to forget the project. Again in devotions, the urge came back. So, I began writing. In obedience, I have written my thoughts and I hope godly insights on twenty-nine plus women (the 30th is a group of honorable mentions). I have gained a lot of understanding from this endeavor so even if you don't receive some insight from it, it was worth it for me personally.

HAGAR

Hagar is my favorite Bible character. At a time in my life when I was especially feeling invisible, the story of Hagar changed my outlook and gave me both hope and joy. Her story is told in Genesis 16:1-16. She was an Egyptian slave. A slave has no real life or control over what they do, where they go, or even what they think. It is a hopeless existence. Her mistress, Sarai, had been promised many children but was still barren at an old age. In her doubt of God's promise Sarai worked out her own solution to the problem. She instructed Hagar to lie with her husband Abram to bear a child in Sarai's place. Hagar became pregnant and she developed an attitude of contempt toward Sarai. From this, one can assume that Hagar expected her circumstances to change by providing Abram with a child. Possibly Abram would favor her as the mother of his heir. When Sarai complained to Abram that Hagar had become proud, he gave her permission to treat Sarai as she chose. She was cruel and abusive to the point that Hagar ran away to the desert.

Hagar's running tired her and mixed with the heat of the desert and strong emotions she was exhausted. She rested by a cool spring where an angel of the LORD found her and called out to her, Hagar. The angel told her that she would have a wild donkey of a son and many descendants. He also instructed her to return to Sarai and be submissive.

Hagar was an Egyptian and therefore she likely still held on to her Egyptian gods. She was a slave------a lowly creature and a woman. Women were not of great value at this time. Yet despite her lowly stature, God knew her name. He. . . . knew. . . . her. . . . name! He knew who she was! The impact of God seeing her suffering and caring enough to approach her induced her to call the spring she rested by Beer Lahai Roi meaning, You are the God who sees me.

No matter the desperate situations you may be experiencing God knows your name. He knows who you are. He knows your suffering. But you ask, if that is true why doesn't He take away the suffering and pain? The answer can be found in the story of Hagar. God saved her. He didn't let her die, but He instructed her to return to Sarai. He instructed her to go back to a difficult situation. I would not expect Sarai's treatment of Hagar to change or be nicer. The abuse most likely continued and even increased in response to Hagar's rebelliousness by running away. Still, God had a plan and a purpose for her. Hagar’s attitude though may have changed for the better knowing that God saw her and cared enough for her to know her name. In our suffering and pain, God has a plan as well. In great pain and suffering what gives comfort and real joy is that God knows our name.

LEAH

Leah was a woman who was unloved. Most of us have felt that way at one time or another. Maybe it was the result of being rejected by a hopeful. Possibly a loved one didn't respond in the expected and needed way. I recall a time in my past when I felt unloved, unlovely, and totally alone. I was having dinner with several friends. It happened to be my birthday, but no one took notice of it. The real hurt was when one of the men insulted me, referring to my looks as less than beautiful, horsey. Not one of these dear friends spoke up for me. They seemed embarrassed that I was their friend. It hurt me deeply and it took some time for me to work through the emptiness of feeling unloved.

Leah's feeling of being unloved is due to a deeper and more troubling experience. Her story is chronicled in Genesis 29:11-35. She and her younger sister, daughters of Laban, lived in Harran. Unexpectedly a distant cousin, a Hebrew named Jacob, came to work for their father. He was fleeing from his elder brother Esau, whom he had deceived to obtain the birthright that rightfully belonged to the eldest son. He fell in love with Rachel and asked Laban for his permission to marry her. Laban agreed if Jacob would work for him for seven years as the dowry price. At the end of the seven years, the wedding took place, only to find out that Laban had tricked Jacob by marrying him to Leah. Distraught he agreed to work for seven more years and was given Rachel as his wife the following week.

Leah was the eldest and the custom was that the eldest married first. Although she was of marrying